WGHP

WGHP is a full-power television station licensed to High Point, North Carolina, and serving the Piedmont Triad market, including Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and surrounding communities. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 8 and is affiliated with the Fox network. Its main studios are on Francis Street near downtown High Point, while its transmitter is located near Sophia, North Carolina. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group, one of the largest local television groups in the United States. WGHP began broadcasting on October 14, 1963, after the Federal Communications Commission allocated a third VHF channel to the Triad region. Southern Broadcast Company received the license, and the station initially operated as an ABC affiliate from studios in the Sheraton Hotel in downtown High Point. Its launch gave the market a full-time ABC service after WFMY-TV and WSJS-TV had previously carried selected ABC programming on a secondary basis. During its ABC years, WGHP combined network programming with locally produced news, syndicated entertainment, movies, and community-focused programming. Ownership changed repeatedly from the late 1970s through the 1990s. Gulf Broadcasting acquired the station in 1978, and Taft Broadcasting bought it in 1984. Following Taft's corporate restructuring, the station moved between entities associated with Taft and Great American Broadcasting before Great American's bankruptcy and reorganization as Citicasters. WGHP was then acquired by New World Communications, whose broader station strategy became closely connected with Fox's expansion among major network affiliates. WGHP switched from ABC to Fox on September 3, 1995. Fox subsequently acquired the station and completed the transaction in January 1996, making WGHP a Fox-owned-and-operated station. The affiliation change transformed the station's programming strategy: Fox supplied a smaller network schedule than the traditional three major networks, allowing WGHP to devote substantially more airtime to local news and syndicated programming. WGHP also carried Fox Kids for a limited period, although the children's block was later moved to another local station and was not subsequently restored to WGHP. Fox sold WGHP to Local TV in a transaction completed in 2008. Tribune acquired Local TV in 2013, bringing the station under Tribune ownership. Tribune's proposed sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group was terminated after regulatory and ownership disputes, followed by litigation between the companies. Nexstar then agreed to acquire Tribune Media, and the transaction closed in September 2019. WGHP consequently became part of Nexstar's national local-news and broadcast-station portfolio. Local news is central to WGHP's identity. The station expanded its morning, midday, afternoon, and evening newscasts after joining Fox, and it now carries one of the Piedmont Triad's largest weekly schedules of locally produced news. Its news output includes extensive weekday morning programming, midday and early-evening broadcasts, a 10 p.m. newscast, weekend programming, and a regional sports segment following selected late newscasts. WGHP was an early local adopter of high-definition news production in the market and has emphasized weather, breaking news, traffic, sports, and community reporting. In addition to its primary Fox service, WGHP operates digital subchannel 8.2, which carries Antenna TV under the TV8.2 identity. The station completed the federally required transition from analog to digital broadcasting in June 2009 and returned its digital signal to VHF channel 8. WGHP remains an active local television brand whose competitive position rests on Fox network programming, a large local-news operation, weather coverage, digital distribution, and recognition associated with the channel 8 position.

The Federal Communications Commission allocated channel 8 to the Piedmont Triad in 1958 after the reassignment of WBTW in Florence, South Carolina. Southern Broadcast Company, backed primarily by former WTOB-TV interests and additional High Point investors, received the license. WGHP began operation on October 14, 1963, from facilities in the Sheraton Hotel in downtown High Point. It became the region's full-time ABC affiliate, replacing the earlier arrangement in which other stations carried selected ABC programs. Gulf Broadcasting purchased WGHP in 1978, and Taft Broadcasting acquired it in 1984. That year the station moved to its current Francis Street studio location. Taft's corporate restructuring in 1987 produced Great American Broadcasting, while a company formed by former Taft leadership temporarily retained the Taft name and ownership of WGHP. Great American later reacquired the station. After Great American entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1993, it reorganized as Citicasters and placed its television properties on the market. New World Communications agreed to acquire WGHP and several other Citicasters stations in the early 1990s. New World's station acquisitions coincided with a 1994 agreement under which Fox would affiliate with many New World stations. Because of ownership limits and questions surrounding Fox parent News Corporation's eligibility to own additional American stations at that time, WGHP was placed in a trust pending direct acquisition by Fox. Fox assumed operational control in 1995, and WGHP changed from ABC to Fox on September 3 of that year. Fox completed the purchase in January 1996, making WGHP a Fox-owned-and-operated station and prompting the former local Fox outlet, WNRW, to take the ABC affiliation and adopt the WXLV-TV call sign. The Fox period brought a major increase in local-news programming. With Fox's comparatively limited network schedule, WGHP expanded morning and evening broadcasts and added further midday, afternoon, and weekend output. The station's Fox Kids carriage was transferred to another Triad station in 1996, and WGHP later declined successor children's blocks after Fox ended its children's-programming strategy. Fox announced the sale of WGHP and other owned stations to Local TV in 2007; the transaction closed in July 2008. Tribune acquired Local TV in 2013. In 2017 Sinclair Broadcast Group proposed acquiring Tribune Media, but the transaction collapsed amid regulatory scrutiny, proposed divestitures, and a dispute that led Tribune to terminate the agreement and sue Sinclair. Nexstar agreed to acquire Tribune in 2018, and the transaction closed on September 19, 2019. WGHP has maintained a substantial local-news operation throughout its history. It introduced expanded morning and early-evening formats after the Fox transition, began widescreen standard-definition news production in 2009, and became the first Piedmont Triad station to broadcast local news in high definition in 2010. Later expansions included additional morning, midday, afternoon, and early-evening hours. The station also operates Antenna TV on digital subchannel 8.2. Its analog service ended in June 2009 as part of the United States digital television transition, with the digital signal ultimately operating on VHF channel 8.

• 2019

  Nexstar takes ownership

  [1]WGHPen.wikipedia.org

  Nexstar completed its acquisition of Tribune Media and assumed ownership of WGHP.

• 2010

  Local news moves to high definition

  [1]WGHPen.wikipedia.org

  WGHP became the first Piedmont Triad station to broadcast local newscasts in high definition.

• 2009

  Analog transmission ends

  [1]WGHPen.wikipedia.org

  WGHP shut down its analog signal during the nationwide digital television transition.

• 1996

  Fox completes ownership transaction

  [1]WGHPen.wikipedia.org

  WGHP became a Fox-owned-and-operated station after Fox completed its purchase.

• 1995

  WGHP becomes a Fox affiliate

  [1]WGHPen.wikipedia.org

  The station ended its ABC affiliation and joined Fox on September 3.

• 1984

  Taft Broadcasting acquires WGHP

  [1]WGHPen.wikipedia.org

  Taft purchased the station and WGHP moved to its current Francis Street studios.

• 1978

  Gulf Broadcasting acquires WGHP

  [1]WGHPen.wikipedia.org

  The station entered Gulf Broadcasting's television portfolio.

• 1963

  WGHP signs on

  [1]WGHPen.wikipedia.org

  WGHP began broadcasting on October 14 as a full-time ABC affiliate.

• 1958

  FCC allocates channel 8 to the Piedmont Triad

  [1]WGHPen.wikipedia.org

  The federal allocation created the basis for a third VHF television service in the High Point–Greensboro–Winston-Salem region.

A high-output local television station positioned around Fox network entertainment, breaking news, weather, sports, and Piedmont Triad community coverage.

• Local television news · 1963

  FOX8 Local News

  WGHP's principal local-news product includes weekday morning, midday, afternoon, early-evening, late-evening, and weekend broadcasts. Coverage centers on Piedmont Triad breaking news, weather, traffic, public affairs, consumer stories, and regional events. The station's Fox affiliation supports an unusually large local-news schedule because the network supplies fewer traditional daytime and late-night programs than ABC, CBS, or NBC.

• Weather broadcasting

  FOX8 Weather

  Weather reporting and severe-weather information are a major part of WGHP's local-service proposition. The station provides forecasts, warnings, live coverage, and related digital information for communities across the Piedmont Triad.

• Network television · 1995

  Fox network programming

  WGHP distributes Fox's entertainment, sports, and special-event programming to the Piedmont Triad. The station has carried Fox programming since 1995, when it replaced ABC as the market's channel 8 network service.

• Digital multicast television · 2011

  Antenna TV on 8.2

  Antenna TV programming is carried on WGHP's digital subchannel 8.2 under the TV8.2 identity. The service focuses on classic television content and extends the station's free over-the-air offering beyond its primary Fox channel.

• 2011

  Launch of Antenna TV subchannelProduct launch

  Background

  Digital broadcasting allowed local stations to add multicast services alongside their primary network channel.

  Action taken

  WGHP launched Antenna TV on digital subchannel 8.2 and branded it TV8.2.

  Aftermath

  The station expanded its over-the-air offering with a second programming service.

  Source

• 2010

  Conversion of local newscasts to high definitionOther

  Background

  WGHP had introduced widescreen standard-definition news production in 2009 as local television moved toward higher-resolution presentation.

  Action taken

  The station began broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition on September 12, 2010.

  Aftermath

  WGHP gained an early technical distinction in the Piedmont Triad market and continued emphasizing high-definition field video.

  Source

• 1996

  Expansion of local-news programming after Fox ownershipProduct launch

  Background

  Fox's schedule created more available airtime than a traditional major-network schedule, giving WGHP room to increase its local output.

  Action taken

  WGHP added and expanded morning, midday, and evening newscasts, including a one-hour 10 p.m. broadcast.

  Aftermath

  Local news became the station's central programming and competitive product.

  Source

• 1995

  Switch from ABC to FoxStrategy

  Background

  The station's ownership transition occurred alongside Fox's effort to secure established network affiliates through New World's station group.

  Action taken

  WGHP ended its ABC affiliation and began carrying Fox programming on September 3, 1995.

  Aftermath

  The change substantially increased the station's reliance on locally produced news and syndicated programming, while the former local Fox affiliate became an ABC outlet.

  Source

1. 1WGHPen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WGHP official websitemyfox8.com